View of the Wadi Rum at “Lawrence’s House”
Over the last 20 years, somehow, Jordan had never made it to the top of my travel destinations… What a mistake! The country should receive all the attention it deserves:
- It is “only” a five-hour flight from Europe, so very easy to reach
- It is both easy & safe to travel – Probably the most stable country in the region, with Oman, even in a troubled period as it is currently.
- It offers a wealth of potential activities, far beyond “only” Petra and the Wadi Rum (each of which being a good reason for a trip)
- Jordan can cater for most types of budgets, though it might be challenging if you really are on a shoestring
- And… With war raging a few hundred kilometers away, it is now almost void of visitors, which of course is a disaster for the local population, but offers incredible experiences: imagine being with only a few people in front of The Treasure early morning, or all alone in front of the Monastery in Petra – The experience of a lifetime!
Given that Jordan was our first “real” trip / road-trip with our 3 kids (aged 4, 4 & 6 at the time of travel in April 2024), the elements mentioned above were top priorities for us.
How long should you plan for Jordan? Well, that depends of course on how much time you have at hand… Consider the following:
- With 7-8 days, you will only be able to focus on some of the “touristic highlights”, and you will have some tough choices to make
- With 2 weeks on your agenda, you will be able to make the most of the cultural activities in Jordan and relax 2 days in Aqaba or on the shores of the Dead Sea
- If you want to add hiking in the mountains (and there seems to be a lot of opportunities), enjoy wildlife spotting or go off the beaten tracks, 3 weeks (or more) will be necessary.
How about us? We had 12 days at hand and could cover the most important highlights and relax 3 days in Aqaba, so that the kids have time to enjoy at bit of swimming pool and beaches.
How about traveling with kids? Jordan is really easy with kids:
- Jordanians love kids, and will go well out of their ways to make families with kids feel comfortable and relaxed
- Logistics is straightforward, no matter if you consider food (both going to restaurants or buying in small supermarkets), accommodation (we rented twice an apartment, found family rooms in at least 2 destinations, …) or transport (sedan family car are easy to find and relatively cheap, and driving is easy in Jordan)
- As far as visits are concerned, we hardly adapted our itinerary and merely looked for ‘little extras” to sweeten the visits (an ice-cream after a visit or some sweets to encourage them, a donkey-ride per day in Petra, a camel ride in the desert, …)
Now the itinerary…
- Day 1: Travel to Jordan
We took direct day-flights (Royal Jordanian) on both legs, to make our lives as simple as possible with the kids. Arriving in the beginning of the afternoon, we decided to visit Al-Salt on our way north. Well, it was quite challenging to orientate ourselves in the beginning (it is a major city), but it made for a nice introduction to the country.
- Day 2: Jerash & Aljun
Jerash in the north is one of best-preserved, extensive and most stunning Roman Remains I ever visited and should be a fix element on your itinerary. It is not only one site, but basically a whole city that can be visited in a half day. Enjoying this place almost void of tourists made it even better.
In the afternoon, we visited Aljun Castle, a nice add-on not very far from Jerash, actually a well-preserved Crusader Castle.
- Day 3: Kings Highway
We started early our drive down south on the “Kings Highway”, with a first stop in Madaba to discover its beautiful Mosaics. We could have spent tmore than half a day there, but the kids got bored of Mosaics, so we decided to move on.
A stop at Mount Nero is a nice symbol, and only a very little detour, but could have been skipped all in all.
In the afternoon, we drove down south through the spectacular landscapes around Wadi Mujib, taking our time, stopping at viewpoints and enjoying a random cup of tea.
- Day 4: Al Kerak & the Dead Sea
Al Kerak Castle is clearly the most spectacular Crusader Castle in Jordan, the one the kids enjoyed most, and deserves a half day.
In the afternoon, we decided to drive down to the Dead Sea. Since it isn’t suited for kids below 6 years (the extremely salted water will hurt their soft skin), we just spent a couple of hours driving along and stopping to marvel at the salt formations along the shores.
- Day 5: Drive to the Wadi Rum
En route towards the Wadi Rum, where we were expected before 15:00 for the sunset camel ride, we stopped at Dana Heritage Village (a great place if you want to go for serious hiking, and a welcome stop on our way, but we could have skipped it all in all) and at Shobak Castle, far less spectacular than Al Kerak but worth a stop on the way nonetheless.
The 3-hour Sunset Camel Ride was definitely a family highlight of the trip, one the kids clearly remember. It was very long nonetheless, and in the end the kids were both exhausted and so happy and proud!
- Day 6-7: Wadi Rum
We spent 2 nights in the spectacular Wadi Rum, and that was an appropriate amount of time. Actually, we even could have spent one more night there, as this is one of the most spectacular places I have ever experienced.
On the second day, we took a full-day jeep tour, which enables you to see most of the renown spots of this desert. The only drawback is that all tours take the same route, with all tourists concentrating at the same place at the same time, which is a bit of a shame.
If we were to go back there, we would discuss with the camp and try and change this itinerary, to enjoy more seclusion in the desert.
- Day 8-10: Aqaba
There is nothing special in Aqaba except the Red Sea and some nice beach clubs. It was nonetheless a necessary stop for the kids to enjoy sometimes playing in the pool and at the beach.
Beware that Aqaba has become a popular vacation spot for Emiratis and Saudis, and that prices have gone through the roof, especially in high-end resorts (600+ USD a night for a standard double room is common in the upper segment). This is why we chose a “business hotel” downtown and enjoyed the Red Sea at the Berenice Beach Club.
On the last day, we drove north to Petra, to ensure that we would have 2 full days there.
- Day 11-12: Petra
You definitely need 2 full days to visit Petra, and yes, it is as spectacular as you imagine, and honestly far more spectacular than I expected! Indeed, Petra is not only the Siq and the Treasure (think of Indiana Jones), but a whole complex of various spectacular rock-hewn temples on an extensive area.
On day 1, we started early morning, walked down the Siq, marveled at the Treasure, then climbed to the High Place of Sacrifices, then walked to the Colonnaded Street, and after lunch visited the Royal Tombs.
On day 2, we took a free shuttle bus to the back of Petra, from there a collective jeep to the beginning of the hike to the Monastery. The 1,5-hour hike is spectacular, and the Monastery is in my opinion even more beautiful than the Treasure itself. It is a 45-minute walk down to the valley below, where you can finish discovering the Royal Tombs and other sights of interest.
If travelling with kids, you have several options: on some legs, you can hire donkeys. To come back through the Siq, you have electric Golf Carts, and on the last leg from the Sig to the visitor center, there are horses (free ride, based on tipping). The kids walked an average of 10-12 km per day, so those treats were welcome rests, believe me!
On the 12th day, after visiting Petra, we took a 3-hour-drive back to Madaba, which is not far from the airport.
- Day 13: Back to France
We had a flight at 10:30, so basically the last day was the trip home.
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